Ch. 11

Caught in the Motion & Found to be Undeserving

Alu knew her back was to the wall—or rather, the closet. Dazai and Odasaku looked casual but Alu knew better. They both were waiting for her to make a move. Ugh, why did Odasaku have to be here? Alu inwardly complained. It made sense though. Of course Dazai would utilize his friend's ability. Since Dazai—no matter how good a fighter he was— still had his weaknesses, Odasaku made up for that with his foresight ability.

But Dazai wasn't the kind of person to 'miss' something—not easily.

Still, he was also a brat right now, and despite his best efforts, he and Ranpo didn't always know everything. Alu pursed her lips, getting a good look at Dazai for the first time. He wore those bandages over the eye this far back? She recalled him having them when she met him when he was 18. This meant Dazai must also be 16…or something.

Alu didn't make it a habit to beat up minors—but this clearly was someone who worked for an organization that used killing as their excuse to 'do business.' Ah, Alu's head hurt again. Still, gazing at Dazai, she noted how his coat was a bit big on him. His legs were shorter, and he looked to maybe only be around Ranpo's height right now.

His uncovered eye held no light or warmth. Alu could sense the negativity in this boy. It was stronger than most adults she'd met. It was even darker— than Verlaine, and that was a warning. But there was something else. While Verlaine compartmentalized his emotions, Dazai just filed his but with the organization of someone who didn't care for order.

Alu wondered if she said something if she would get shot. So, being polite, she raised her hand. "Um, may I ask a question, mafia pirate sir?" She asked, not exactly wanting to give away that she knew them already if that would mess things up further.

Odasaku pursed his own lips, because honestly, no one had called Dazai a 'mafia pirate' and it oddly fit.

Dazai blinked.

However, his boredom was now replaced with something far more dangerous.

Intrigue.

"Oh…I suppose, after all," he tilted his head. "We would prefer to resolve things without conflict, right, Odasaku?"

Odasaku nodded. "Mhm."

Alu thought Odasaku was well trained by Dazai and she paused as the funniest image of Dazai just taking Odasaku for a 'walk' came to mind—though the reverse was even funnier—Dazai as a dog but he was 'walking' Odasaku like so many dogs with no care for leash training tend to do. Oh no, she was going to laugh again. This was terrible. Why did she have to think of something like this when she was clearly in a tense situation? Stop thinking of funny stuff!

She cleared her throat, coughing lightly into the back of her hand. "I uh was just wondering, is there a reason your coat is so big? I mean, the bigger the coat, the heavier right?"

Dazai blinked. That was the oddest tangent question he'd been asked. Well, no, he had a feeling she would find more along the way. "Oh this?" He just smiled at her again. "This just represents the weight I carry in my job."

Alu thought that was oddly poetic. "I see, so by that logic, you believe you still have room for growth!" She brightly said, pointing at him. "Or maybe your growth has been stunted by your terrible personality," she added.

Odasaku thought she was an odd one to tease in a situation like this— with Dazai of all people— but he got the feeling they were actually a lot alike in their reckless abandon personalities.

Chuuya for the first time in all of this, had to turn away towards the door so he wouldn't actually laugh. Chuuya was beyond tickled, despite himself. No one made height jokes about Dazai if they valued their head but she was just going with it. Chuuya felt like she really did mean those words when he had said she was a friend. Despite Dazai's skepticism, he just couldn't believe she was working with Verlaine.

Dazai's anger doki was blooming as he heard Chuuya's attempt to contain his snickers behind him. He'd deal with him later.

Dazai's smile remained on his face, but he didn't actually understand what she was insinuating. Or rather, all the translations in his mind made it sound like she was trying to say that he could change? But why would he even want to? He was on this roller coaster called life for the hell of it because there was nothing better to do at the moment.

Odasaku meanwhile, glanced at Dazai to observe. Odasaku didn't actually get any sort of killing intent from this girl at all. She honestly came off as non hostile. He knew better though. This was what Dazai meant earlier. This girl definitely had a way with words. No wonder Dazai thought she was dangerous.

"Who are we tailing?" Odasaku asked, trailing beside Dazai.

"Oh hm, just Chuuya's new crush!" Dazai cheerfully said.

"…Chuuya has a woman?" Odasaku couldn't help but sound surprised. He didn't actually mean to be rude, but the thought hadn't really seemed like a Chuuya thing.

"Yes, but not just any woman! She's that interesting one from earlier today." Dazai sounded thoughtful as he walked, his hands behind his head.

Odasaku followed, and finally frowned. "Are you saying…we are to catch her?"

Dazai appreciated how quick Odasaku could be when it came to serious matters. "Yep~ Boss's orders are to do it nice and easy like though. He doesn't want to 'scare' her off. Ironic huh?" Dazai giggled.

Odasaku did think it was a bit ironic. "So we are bringing her to the boss?"

"No," Dazai's uncovered eye glanced up at the sky. He stopped walking.

Odasaku paused as well, a few steps ahead. He turned his body to look at Dazai, puzzled. "Dazai?"

"Odasaku, what are your thoughts on the girl?"

It was a random question.

Odasaku frowned. He didn't have any opinion. She was a stranger. If she was wanted by the Mafia it was unfortunate for her—if things went south— but it wasn't like it was his business. "I have no opinion," he said, perplexed, gazing at Dazai.

"Really?" Dazai put his hands on his hips, and leaned towards Odasaku, causing Odasaku's cowlicks to twitch cutely from surprise at the sudden gap of space Dazai seemed to close between himself and Odasaku. "Are you certain? Isn't there a part of you that would like a woman who says pretty words and promises that life isn't all doom and gloom?"

Odasaku was still confused. "Uh…"

He blinked at Dazai. Dazai grinned at him, holding out his arms. "It's okay to be honest! After all, no secrets necessary here! I, for one, would love a cute girl that would tell me pretty words!"

"You would?" Odasaku couldn't help but sound disbelieving.

Dazai caught that undertone and actually paused. He giggled, finding Odasaku's blunt honesty refreshing. He had been in a terrible mood because of Chuuya but Odasaku knew how to calm down his rage. Every time.

Odasaku was confused because Dazai wasn't someone who had interest in anyone. Well, it wasn't like he didn't like women, he did talk about them sometimes when they went drinking. They'd talk about all kinds of subjects when not at work. But this felt like a test. Odasaku got the distinct feeling that Dazai was testing him. But where Odasaku drew the blank was at the question —-why?

"Ah, it seems you have your priorities straight," Dazai beamed at Odasaku.

"Rather than straight, I don't understand the question," Odasaku said, gazing at Dazai.

"Oh? What's not to understand?" Dazai blinked. He knew Odasaku could be a bit slow sometimes but with him, Dazai didn't mind being patient.

"You're asking me if I like someone based on just what you've told me about her, but wouldn't it be better to ask me a question like that after I've met her?"

That point hung in the air.

Dazai put a finger to his lip, actually thinking. Odasaku was a stimulating person to talk with. Dazai smiled like a cat.

Well, that's alarming, Odasaku thought off handedly, as Dazai began to giggle with a dark glint in his eye. But then again, it was Dazai, so Odasaku just let it slide.

"It all comes down to words," Dazai brightly said. "Words hold weight, despite our best attempts to have it be actions, in the end, words will always pull apart and destroy a sound foundation, every single time!" He pulled out his gun without warning.

Odasaku froze.

His eyes widened.

His ability activated.

But he found himself moving instinctively as the bullet rang out.

BAM.

Where Odasaku had been standing, a bullet shot past, landing in the lake itself. Odasaku's body tensed, and instinctively he crouched. But he was more than puzzled now. He was flummoxed. Why did Dazai just shoot at him?

Odasaku stared at Dazai, as Dazai just continued to hold the barrel of the gun towards him. "…Do you mean to kill me?"

Odasaku asked this softly and tight toned.

Dazai's expression was unreadable. If Dazai shot this 'unnecessary attachment' then he would be taking Verlaine's advice. Yes, Verlaine did have a point. Attachments could be a hindrance. They would only entangle him. But then Dazai thought, Ah, actually to be choked by this particular attachment…doesn't sound so bad. Dazai just closed his eye, and lowered his gun with a small sigh. "Would pretty language like, 'of course not, you're my friend', convince you otherwise?" He asked, tilting his head, smiling, now a little manic, at Odasaku.

Odasaku's eyes flickered. His feelings were admittedly, perhaps, hurt. Because he thought Dazai and he were at least good colleagues at this point. Dazai had never made a point of trying to harm him before now. Well, besides the day they met but that was a different story.

Dazai, —even he could be dense sometimes— didn't catch that, but watched as Odasaku slowly rose to his feet. So Dazai was proving a point. "Is this because Chuuya met that girl?"

"Bingo!~" Dazai brightly said, and he put his gun back in his holster.

Odasaku let out a small sigh. So, Dazai was just venting. He had a roundabout way of being concerned for Chuuya, was all Odasaku could think. "Are you worried Chuuya will leave you for the girl?"

He was referring to the Port Mafia but the funny look on Dazai's face almost made the misunderstanding hilariously worse.

"Chuuya will never leave me!" Dazai said with a huff. "He's my dog after all. Until the day he dies."

That declaration came out in Dazai's teasing tone but the dark sharp edges of a razor were there too.

"Dazai… you say words unravel a sound foundation but I disagree. Pretty words are just words," Odasaku said, frowning. "For me, I put more weight into a person's actions because actions always have consequences."

Dazai smiled, —oblivious to Odasaku's underlying meaning—like Odasaku had just made his heart glow. "Good answer~"

—-

"Chuuya, come over here," Dazai said casually, and Chuuya shuddered.

Gritting his teeth, he obeyed.

He had no choice.

Dazai smiled as Chuuya trotted over. Swiftly, he punched Chuuya without warning in the stomach. It wasn't a soft blow either. Chuuya's eyes widened from the alarm. "Gah—-!?" Dazai had moved so quickly that Chuuya hadn't even registered that he was being punched.

Crumpling, to his knees, hugging his stomach, Chuuya trembled with barely contained rage. Was this bastard picking a fight? Dazai however put a hand on Chuuya's head, like he was petting a dog—his dog. The touch on top of Chuuya's head made Chuuya instinctively want to recoil but he found he couldn't move.

Odasaku meanwhile stood, both him and Alu inwardly at a loss for words. Neither knew what Dazai was thinking and this comically showed on their faces as Dazai just pet Chuuya on the head a few strokes, like he cared about the slightly older boy's wellbeing.

Alu herself, jumped a little when Dazai randomly punched Chuuya. She grimaced though. "Hey, don't hit him," she frowned at Dazai.

Dazai hummed. "Oh? Don't mistake our small talk for leniency," he said, his eye glinting.

Alu became aware that something was incredibly wrong. The feeling grew as Dazai swiftly knocked out Chuuya with a sudden blow to the back of the neck. Chuuya didn't resist because he honestly had been stunned himself. Chuuya collapsed, with a thump. Alu's jaw tightened. She held her fists at her sides, and Odasaku detected it just then.

B-THmP.

"That's enough!" Alu turned on her heel and at a speed difficult to trace to the human eye, ended up behind Dazai, before reaching for Chuuya, to grab him from Dazai's vicinity.

"Dazai!"

Dazai clicked his gun to Chuuya's forehead, cradling the boy —almost mistaken for a tenderly gesture— in his arm, but his other hand held the gun whipped out like lightning, and his finger was on the trigger.

Alu froze. She hadn't even moved yet.

Again. It must have been Odasaku's ability again! Alu felt inwardly frustrated. She actually hadn't had the chance to see Odasaku in action much. Of course it had to be only when it was him against her. Just her luck.

"Hey, let's all just…calm down," Alu said, holding up her hands. Okay, so if she tried to do anything at all, it was pretty much moot. Actions couldn't do the talking here. She had to use her words.

Dazai tilted his head at her, his good mood strangely still present. "I am calm, you're the one who is concerned here," he said, "although if that's for Chuuya's safety or your own, I have to wonder!"

Odasaku stayed on standby but he knew to fly into action if Dazai's life was threatened in any way. Although, he did feel some exasperation that Dazai was picking a fight with this person. Hadn't their boss just told Dazai to bring her in with as little trouble as possible? Dazai was stirring the pot, and Odasaku knew that was because Dazai was…well, Dazai.

Alu wanted to seriously punch this damn brat. Her eye twitched. "You…are…."

"Hm? I'm what?" Dazai continued to gaze at her, gun pointed at Chuuya's forehead.

"So immature!" Alu griped, waving an arm at him, pointing. "I mean really! You're jealous because Chuuya is talking to me so you go and pull this crap?"

Odasaku was speechless. No one got on Dazai's bad side if they could consciously help it. Not only did Alu lecture him, but she was practically begging to get shot by him. Honestly, her words and her actions seemed to hilariously result from impulsivity more than anything. Not only that but she was calling Dazai out.

Dazai. Of all people.

Dazai meanwhile, had not expected to be called immature of all things. The tension was high and yet she was lecturing him on how he was treating Chuuya like they even had a close enough relationship to condone such a thing. Although Dazai still had dark thoughts, he had to admit—at least to himself— that he had not been disappointed, after all.

This girl was interesting.

Suddenly, Dazai felt his boredom alleviated. She hadn't even done anything, she'd just spoken her mind but Dazai found that he understood now why Chuuya had so quickly become enamored with her talk. Make no mistake, her words were dangerous. Not because they were fake, like he had initially thought.

She was natural.

There was no deceit.

There was no veiled silver tongue.

She spoke her mind, plain and simple.

She was brutally honest, to a fault, almost.

"Dazai…" Odasaku said, glancing to his colleague, not sure what to do now.

Dazai giggled, putting his gun away and dropping Chuuya unceremoniously onto the floor now.

PLOD.

Chuuya lay on the ground comically as Dazai got to his feet, putting his hand on his hip, smiling now at Alu.

Alu shivered.

That look in his eye was like an animal that had finally fixated its sights on something juicy and was going to take its time playing with its food. Piece by piece.

"Anything else?"

The cold amusement on his face made Alu seriously want to kick him. How edgy was this kid? Damn. Alu grit her teeth.

Odasaku hung back, as Dazai casually stepped over to where Alu stood.

Alu was frustrated because he was slightly taller. If he'd been shorter this would have been at least a bit funny.

As it was, Dazai stood before her now, and then he beamed at her.

Alu quivered, glaring at him.

Dazai liked it, oddly enough. This person who came waltzing in and tried to take Chuuya from under the Port Mafia's nose with just a few pretty words indeed could be categorized as a threat. Although Mori wanted to extend an invitation for her to join and Dazai had to agree. Killing her now would be more boring.

"Alright," Alu said, voice low for a girl. Dazai blinked, surprised at the sudden drop in Alu's tone.

A split second later, he felt the wind rush past his hair on the side of his bandaged eye, as he barely registered what was happening. A fist was caught but not by Dazai. Odasaku had stepped in wordlessly, blocking Alu's direct punch by pulling Dazai behind himself.

"Eh….?" Dazai uttered.

Alu growled, and barreled into Odasaku now with a yell. "Dammit!" Odasaku grunted, predicting her moves and acting accordingly. He managed to pin her to the ground, but made sure not to hurt her too much. His grip alone with his body weight was enough as she wriggled like an angry worm, held back by Odasaku.

"Agh! Let me go! I am going to punch his damn smarmy smile off his stupid mummy face!"

Both young men were comically reminded of Chuuya at that moment. Huh, maybe they got along because they were actually incredibly similar in some regards. Dazai just came over, hands behind his back, with a hum, having recovered already from his momentary surprise.

His heart had elevated just a little. It was funny. He had exposed himself intentionally to get punched. The anticipation was there. His bandaged eye was just a crutch he gave himself out of boredom to chase the "thrill" of what it meant to feel alive. He knew what to expect therefore his reaction should have been to feel nothing.

But the eyes the girl made before the blow.

That had been what made Dazai's black little heart beat a little faster.

"Ah, I wouldn't struggle if I were you. Attempting to strike me will only end up with your body in a ditch somewhere~" he cutely said, caressing his cheek like it was precious.

Alu stopped struggling in Odasaku's grasp. Odasaku was relieved. He didn't want to actually hurt her. He could tell Dazai was orchestrating this whole thing but to what end would he go? Odasaku felt like this girl was being put through a test of her own for Dazai's world view to be proven correct, again.

"Asshole," Alu quivered, upset, glaring at Dazai. "What the hell."

Dazai eyed her, his hands dropping to his sides. "You sure have a lot of gusto, waltzing into Chuuya's business, and now attempting to strike me…so tell me. If you're his friend— like I am, then you'll have no problem answering my questions, neh~"

It wasn't optional. It was clearly a threat. But Alu just tightened her expression for a moment. She couldn't fight Odasaku off and well, she knew the situation wasn't looking great in her favor. But, seriously, did no one ever persist to tell this kid off for the way he treated others that supposedly relied on him? Knowing Mori, he probably tried and failed. No wonder Chuuya had a strained relationship with Dazai in the future!

"I'll say this," Alu frowned at Dazai, who eyed her, his arms crossing, still just looking at her with a bemused cold leer. Her gaze was fiery like an ochurus flame. "The way you are right now…. You don't deserve to call Chuuya your 'anything'."